For better or worse, this is the year we call the cards on Clint Frazier

In the Yankee front office's decisions to ignore Bryce and Manny, one point did offer a bit of fan hope: Both moves - or non-moves - gave Clint Frazier one more chance.

If we'd we signed Machado, Manny would have eventually moved to 3B, chasing Miguel Andujar into LF, and Frazier - if he had yet to escape the Scranton atmosphere - would be lost forever in the Poconos. If we'd signed Harper, Frazier would be a goner, a face in the crowd of too many OFs.

Now, presumably we will see what "Red Thunder" can do. I, for one, still remember the excitement of the 2016 Andrew Miller trade - the first time in this millennium that the Yankees admitted their failures and sought to rebuild. El Chapo was shipped off to Chicago for Gleyber Torres. Then Andrew Miller went to Cleveland, and here came Frazier, a highly touted slugger with an outgoing personality, almost a mini-Nick Swisher.  He jokingly asked to wear number 7. He tried to keep his long red hair. He ruffled feathers, and - damn - it's what we needed.

But if you're going to wear the lampshade, you better be able to back it up on the field. And Frazier has yet to do that. In 2016, it seemed impossible that the Yankees could actually lose on the trade, but final judgments will land on Frazier and James Paxton (who we received for Justus Sheffield, the other chip we received.) 

This spring, Frazier is not doing much. He is 5 for 30 with no homers. Yesterday, he supposedly was pleased with himself after hitting a long fly ball. Jeez, that's setting the bar a bit low, doncha think? Also, they say he didn't shrink while chasing a long fly to the wall. Frazier dislikes walls as much as Nancy Pelosi. He's twice run into them and not come out the same.

They say it's a done-deal that he'll start the season in Scranton. That's mainly because the Yankees love Brett Gardner and will give Gardy at least two months to stake his claim on LF. But I still believe in Frazier. I think he'll someday hit 30 home runs in a season. I just hope it's with the Yankees.